Tibetan activists called off their 30 day hunger strike outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York Thursday afternoon following an assurance from UN special rapporteurs to investigate the situation in Tibet.
UN advisor to an assistant secretary general for human rights, Richard Bennett and an official from Ban's office, Parfait Onanga visited the two hunger strikers on site to hand over a letter from the UN human rights chief Navi Pillay.
The three Tibetans have not eaten since February 22. On Monday night, New York police and medics forcibly transported the oldest striker, 59-year-old Dorjee Gyalpo, to a local hospital out of concern for his deteriorating condition.
In an interview with VOA Tibetan Wednesday, 32-year-old Shingza Rinpoche and 39-year-old Yeshi Tenzing voiced their determination to continue their hunger strike until UN met their demands to send UN fact-finding mission to Tibet to assess the situation of human rights and freedom there.
Last Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern for the well-being of three Tibetan activists. United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic also met with the three Tibetan hunger strikers on their 20th day of water-only fast outside the UN building in New York.